Flea says in a letter to fans that the Red Hot Chili Peppers pretended to play along to a pre-taped track of “Give It Away” during the Super Bowl halftime show as Anthony Kiedis sang live. The request came from NFL officials who felt it was too difficult to pull off a completely live performance because of potential sound issues. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens, File)

Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea turned to the Internet to explain to fans why the band — except for Anthony Kiedis’ vocals — didn’t play live instruments during their 2014 Super Bowl performance.